Astro Launches On The Go Service for International Users

Astro, the largest pay TV provider in Malaysia, today announced its latest service. Having already received unprecedented success on its Astro On The Go service, which provides subscribers access the best of Astro’s services, the company has announced Astro On The Go (AotG) for subscribers and anyone abroad.

Hit the jump for more on Astro’s latest innovative service.

As the largest pay TV platform not just in Malaysia, but also in the Southeast Asian region, Astro’s position and reputation is one that they do not take very lightly. As the launch of the international service of Astro On The Go shows, the company is constantly pushing forward and innovating its services to better serve its subscribers.

The original Astro On The Go service, which was introduced back in May 2012, is a versatile service that enables all Malaysians in Malaysia to enjoy a seamless and personalized viewing experience and access the best of Astro’s TV, radio and Video on Demand (VOD) services across multiple devices and platforms. The Astro On The Go service can be accessed via web app as well as native applications for iOS and Android (only limited to Samsung and HTC devices). It was an unprecedented success for the company, with over 500000 subscribers and over 400000 downloads for its native apps.

So how different is the new service compared to the local version? For starters, the service is currently available as a free preview at www.astroonthego.com but is only accessible for overseas IP addresses. This free preview offers two popular Astro channels, Awani (Malaysia’s first 24-hour news and information channel) and Arena (Malaysia’s first and only channel dedicated to local sports), and both channels offer live streaming of any live events on air, as well as a selection of programs from the channel. The AotG Worldwide’s platform has also been tweaked to handle up to 100000 concurrrent viewers without any loss in video streaming quality.

The second phase of Astro On The Go Worldwide will see a greater rollout of new content to the service, with local contents such as Maharaja Lawak, Adam dan Hawa, Hua Hee Makan and Oh My English! as well as popular Astro First movies like Juvana, Husin, Mon & Jin Pakai Toncit and Awan Dania. A third phase, which will be released before the commercial roll out in the second quarter this year, will see the introduction of the company’s Video on Demand (VOD) offerings, containing between 1000 to 1500 titles. And, the native AotG apps for Android and iOS has been tweaked to allow international use of the app.

As CEO Rohana Rozhan rightly states, boundaries shouldn’t apply in technology. This became a primary motivation behind the introduction to AotG Worldwide. In addition, many Malaysians abroad continue to stay connected to local news, and rely on alternative websites. With AotG Worldwide, Malaysians abroad now have 24-hour access to Astro Awani, and with the Malaysian general elections looming, Astro Awani’s extensive coverage will be a major boon for those abroad.

Finally, the AotG service will also be available to all Malaysians, including non-subscribers in Malaysia. Non-Astro subscribers can subscribe to two AotG packs (table below) at either RM30/pack per month or RM5/pack per day. Alternatively, they can also subscribe to single channels within each pack, as well as Vaanavil, from RM10 to RM15 per channel per month. In addition to the channels in these packs, non-Astro subscribers will also have access to selected TV programmes, nine radio channels, Arena and Awani for free. They will also have the option to buy the latest movies from Astro First and Astro Best between RM10 to RM15 per title. The company has already planned a slew of additional content to be made available for the AotG service in the near future, including Korean content.